Safety device



Nov. 26, 1935. c w RASMUSS 2,022,604

SAFETY DEVICE Filed Sept. 6, 1934 INVENTOR BY 14% 2 fawn/r60.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention has for its object the provision of an accessory whichmay be readily mounted on the running board of a motorcycle and operatedto prevent toppling of the vehicle when at rest or when running at a lowspeed. It is also an object to provide a device for the stated purposewhich will be normally yieldably held in inoperative position, may bereadily locked in operative position, and which will absorb the shock ofthe support impinging upon the ground. These several objects areattained in such a device as is illustrated in the accompanying drawingand will be hereinafter fully described, and the invention resides incertain novel features which will be particularly defined in theappended claims. r

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the device mounted on a motorcycle.

Figure 2 is a View on a larger scale, partly in elevation and partly inlongitudinal section.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 2.

The motorcycle, indicated at I, may be of any known or approved form andconstruction. In practicing the present invention, an opening 2 isformed through the rear end portion of each foot board 3, it beingunderstood that a foot board is mounted on each side of the vehicle.Firmly bolted to the underside of each foot board, at the front endthereof, is a leaf spring 4- which has its rear free end disposed underthe opening 2 and tends constantly to lie against the underside of theboard as shown in Figure 1. At its rear end, the spring has a threadedopening formed therethrough and a cylindrical box 5 is secured upon theunderside of the spring concentric with said opening, said box housingan expansion spring 6 which is coiled around a plunger or rod passingcentrally through the top and bottom of the box and slidable therein. Ashoulder or abutment washer 8 is secured upon the plunger within the boxand a collar or ferrule 9 is secured in the opening in the end of thespring 4 to guide the plunger, as shown in Figure 5, the spring 4forming the top of the box 5 and the coiled spring 6 bearing at one endagainst said spring 4 and at its opposite end against the abutment 8.The lower end of the plunger carries a. yoke H1 in which is mounted aroller II adapted to at times run upon the ground. On the upper end ofthe plunger is a knob 62 which constitutes a stop to limit the downwardmovement of the plunger and the knob also provides a handle whereby theplunger may be raised, if necessary or rotated to set the roller 5 orwheel II at a desired angle.

Mounted in the forward end portion of the opening 2 is a crank orlocking arm l3 having a circular head or hub 14 disposed within theopening and held therein by a fulcrum pin or 10 axle passing through adiametrical slot I6 in the hub or head and having its ends secured inthe walls of said opening as shown clearly in Figure 3. Extendingcentrally from the hub 14 is a pedal I! having an expanded foot rest 15[8, the pedal normally projecting upwardly, as shown in Figure 1, butadapted to lie within the opening 2 when depressed, it being noted thatthe opening 2 is T-shaped to accommodate the pedal and the hub.Extending through the opening 2 at the sides of the pedal are thestirrups l9 adapted to bear against the hub I4 and held thereto byexpansion springs 20 seated in sockets provided therefor in the footboard, as will be understood. The stirrups are slidably mounted on thetop and bottom of the foot board and held thereon by bolts 2| passingthrough the foot board and through longitudinal slots 22 in thestirrups.

Normally, when the vehicle is in use, the parts are in the positionsshown in Figure 1, the rollers or wheels II being held up from theground by the spring 4. In this position, the pedal ll extends upwardlyand the pressure exerted by the springs 20 upon the hub through thestirrups holds the hub upward relative to the fulcrum pin l5 so that thepin is off center and the pedal will be locked in the raised positionwith the arm I3 disposed within the opening 2. When the vehicle isstopped or is traveling at low speed, the rider by pressing upon thepedal causes it to swing downwardly to the position shown in Figure 2,thereby rocking the arm l3 into engagement with the spring 4 anddepressing the same to carry the wheel or roller II to the ground, thearm l3 assuming the vertical position and the springs 20 shifting thehub so that the fulcrum pin is at the rear end of the slot l 6 and offcenter thereby locking the roller H in the lowered ground-engagingposition. The same action is effected at both sides of the vehicle sothat the vehicle may be left standing without likelihood of falling.When the vehicle is again set in motion, the pedals are raised whereuponthe leaf springs at once lift the ground-engaging rollers. When saidrollers are lowered, the springs 6 cushion the impact, and they absorbthe shock of traveling over rough ground if they be lowered when thevehicle is in motion.

The device does not add appreciably to the dead weight of the vehicleand, when in operative position, maintains the vehicle in stableequilibrium.

Having described my invention; what I claim is: 1. An apparatus for thepurpose set forth comprising a leaf spring, means for securing thespring to the foot board of a vehicle, a box on the free end of thespring, a plunger passing ver- 3. In an apparatus for the purpose setforth, a 10' leaf spring, a ground-engaging'roller carried by 7 7 saidspring and normally held from the ground thereby, a crank .pivotallymounted for normal disposal above the spring and to bear thereon whenlowered for holding the roller to the ground, 15 a hub for the crank andprovided with a slot re-' ceiving the pivot to slide on the latter, apedal extending from the hub to rock the crank on its pivot to raised orlowered position, and slidablymounted spring-pressed stirrups bearingupon 20 the hub whereby to lock the crank in raised or lowered position.V

' CHRISTOPHER W. RASMUSS.

